Great place with wonderful, helpful people. A fun, safe, integrated workout, that allows and…read morepromotes the use all my skills ..

This place has a great strength training, set up in addition to the rock climbing facility. My…read morereview is based solely on the strength and conditioning side of the gym. It's an excellent gym, but it's a little pricey since the fee includes the rock climbing access, which I do not use. Overall, it's a very good gym for strength training and I plan to be back regularly.

Touchstone gym located in downtown Oakland…read more This is a more small and intimate gym in comparison to Pacific Pipe. There is a small Boulder section, top roping, work area, weights, and workout area. The staff here is super friendly. My friends took the intro to climbing class here and they really enjoyed it. The staff was really helpful in teaching them the ins and outs

I love the structure. Super fun, climbing competition. Great stuff. Super fun…read more I came for the 2024 climbing competition. I had such a great time so glad I came. This building is gorgeous and so fun so aesthetic. The staff was super friendly. When I made a joke about my chalk, they were receptive and fun. Their store was pretty well stocked. Grab myself an adorable, red crop sweatshirt. They're set up was very organized. Literally zero drama. Highly recommend, and I'll be back.

This review is primarily for my experience with their competition and the atmosphere around when…read morethere were competitors from Cal & Stanford. I highly enjoyed my experience here as well as many of my friends who normally climb at Touchstone gyms. I've had the opportunity to try out their SF location early when they first soft launched during the pandemic and it was great albeit smaller than other gyms I've been to in the Bay. I will note that this isn't quite as corporate as Touchstone or Movement so they may not have the same level of funding which I see as reasons their sets are a bit more adventurous comparatively and membership can seem pricey Overall, the aspect I like the most about the gym was the sets for the comp. It really had a huge variety of non-traditional climbs with toe catch starts, partner climbs, lache, and run up dynos. All in all, I very much enjoyed the variety that is less typical comparative to the sets you'd see at Movement or Touchstone gyms. The fact that they have these unique sets despite the small space is what makes me enjoy it more I would recommend people who want to expand their skills check out this place. I didn't feel like they had any sets that were more inherently dangerous which I sometimes feel with some run up dynos at other gyms. Furthermore, not all the climbs were jugs which really helped to find fun ways to improve. It's also close to Indian Rock if you wanted something more natural and being so close to Berkeley campus it's a quick walk to good eats I find the diversity of climbs here the best of all the climbing gyms seem so far, including gyms in NYC/Texas. The interior space also seems to welcome students or people who treat it as a third space with a large table, small but adequately sized parking lot, and essential gym equipment. The one con I may say is the price may not be as cost-effective as some other corporate gyms in the Bay but having smaller gyms that have an inviting space and good diversity of climbs will be reasons I'd continue to come back

I visited Benchmark twice while in Berkeley for a holiday stay. I was glad to find a decent place…read moreto climb close to the house I was staying at. I was able to take advantage of a special 2-week pass that was the same price as a day pass, which was a great find. The staff is helpful. The toilets and lockers are small, but clean. The climbing space itself is also small, but adequate for two visits. There is a good range of difficulties represented. My two beefs with this gym: 1) the mats are thin and HARD. I felt nervous trying anything slightly outside my comfort zone as I was afraid of falling. That really detracts from the experience. 2) there is no rhyme or reason to the colors of the problems. You have to get close to the all and squint to see what V rating it is. Yellow here might be V2 and the Yellow over there is V0. Why?! I much prefer my regular gym where Yellow is always the same level. That way you can easily scan the whole room to see which routes will suite.

Best climbing gym around! I pretty much only Boulder but the…read morespace is huge and there's a wide variety of problems for all skill levels. Healthy mixture of top outs and holds to finish! Good rotation of problems! The workout area has a lot of space (though it can get crowded 5-7 midweek). Staff is always friendly and helpful.

I've been here a few times and it's always so mesmerizing looking at the sheer size of the gym/rock…read moreclimbing walls as well as it being 2 floors for bouldering! Their traditional part of the gym with weights had a good selection of accessories and equipment. I love how there are big areas for both top rope and bouldering. I can't imagine how it will be during rush hours as I've only tried to go on the off hours. I usually chance it and park on 20th street instead of parking in the lot as it can get pretty tight. Everyone I've interacted with was pretty nice and efficient! Definitely check it out if you're in the area- it's so pretty'. Theres also a coffee shop on 20th street too if you need a pick me up!

Had a very odd interaction with a staff member. We were told that California EBT cards were not and…read morewere never supposed to be accepted for the discounted climbing price across the touchstone gyms, however, every other gym has accepted it and the website itself says that they are accepted. If the policy for the company has changed, I understand the website might not reflect that yet, however, the website does clearly state California EBT is valid for the discounted price so it felt like this gym in particular is unilaterally deciding to not accept them despite what the company website states. I'm more than happy to update this review if contacted. I have tried contacting this gym to get clarification and have not been able to do so. Edit: manager has since reached out to rectify the situation. Great customer service.

I bought a day pass for a visit here for some bouldering. The day pass is 25 before 3pm and rental…read moreis included for the first time. The process was easy and we filled out our forms rapidly. The shoes are self serve and i noticed that they also provide rental chalk. The bouldering area is quite minimal, but they had a number of interesting problems and the boulders are all on Kaya, my preferred app for logging my climbs. They also provided 0 training or onboarding for us so if you are new to the sport, I would recommend coming here with a friend who knows the ropes haha. The grades made sense, I wish there was a bit more slab type climbing though, and the overhang area is also fairly minimal. This is obviously a much more top rope oriented gym. There is little AC but they do have fans, and there's a small strength training area and some treadmills. The bathrooms are quite well appointed with hair dryer, tampons, and nail clippers. Enjoyed the trip for sure!

Wow, fun place! I never experienced an auto belay before and it's great because sometimes it's…read morehard to round up that friend to come and climb with you! With the auto belay, it's easier to clip on and just climb, so you can climb more reps also. Friendly staff. I learned some new tips from the belay test as their system is just a bit different from what I'm used to, but I love learning so it was great. Easy parking. Please come and create your own experience.

Reach another level of personal growth with a visit to The Peak of Fremont, the biggest indoor…read moreclimbing facility in the area. Remember those days in the playground and their climbing structures? Well, as an adult, The Peak is the place to reignite that hobby and enjoy the sport with a rich community of professionals and enthusiasts. This huge facility is shared among The Peak's climbing structures, an indoor volleyball court, a casual restaurant, and a small arcade. There aren't many parking spots up front but around the back of the building, you'll see plentiful spots. Once you enter the building, head to the left through the glass doors where you'll see the many climbing walls speckled with multiple colored protrusions. The pricing is transparent and it's all available upfront. They do have day passes, multi-visit passes as well as memberships that will waive your entrance fee. In addition to the entrance fee, you may also be required to pay for the harness and shoe rentals (members get a discounted price). They also have chalk for the more advanced climbers. If it's your first time, consider completing the waiver online ahead of time. You may be asked to go through a quick orientation regarding the use of their auto-belay system, however if you already know how to belay traditionally, they may ask you to go through additional training just to be sure. Each wall seemed to feature a variety of colors to distinguish the different difficulty levels for more advanced climbers. Aside from the walls, they also have a huge structure designed for bouldering with a thick padded floor underneath. The boulder and auto-belay walls seemed the most popular but it didn't seem there was much waiting given the ample space in the facility. There was certainly enough climbing space for everyone. As a novice, the activity was fun and tiring; there's definitely a balance between technique and strength! Despite having entry for the whole day, we definitely were tired out within an hour of constant climbing and by hour two, it was just about time to leave and refuel. Fortunately, the location of this space is quite convenient due to having a restaurant right on site as well as its proximity to the highway and other eateries just a few minutes away. The staff were friendly and informative. Besides the initial onboarding, there wasn't much interaction with them. They seem to keep things organized, cleaned and well-maintained. Overall, The Peak does a fantastic job introducing the sport of climbing to the local community and providing a clean and safe environment for newbies and experts alike. The price is reasonable for an all day activity and even more so if you become a member. For kids, they also have camps to build a new passion and train them up as climbers. For the more serious climbers, you may want to consider investing in the equipment to further save on the rentals. If this is a new challenge for you, take the opportunity to get in on this sport! The Peak makes it relatively easy to pick this up and continue leveling up with each visit!

Really great and big bouldering gym. I just started climbing and this gym is not short of beginner…read morefriendly problems and they have a unique arch section with problems as well. I was hoping to grab one of the merch here but as usual with any Touchstone gyms, the designs are basic and weird cut, and the gyms are lacking in sizes. As others mentioned, there are free parking on the long block behind the gym.

Huuuge gym, as you would expect from the name, it is bouldering only. The weight/training area is a…read morelittle limited compared to a lot of the other gyms I've been to, so expect a little bit of a crowd. There are plenty of walls to keep you entertained for a long time, you most likely will run out of steam before you run out of projects for the day! Worth noting that people don't have the best bouldering etiquette in here, so do expect others to cut you off and, some times, even start climbing underneath you when you're not done yet! But then again, that has less to do with the gym and more with the people in it. Climb safe!

Benchmark is a fantastic bouldering gym. It is the nicest gym I've been to. They have huge windows…read moreand plants that make the space feel cozy. It is a smaller gym, but they make great use of the space, and it never got too crowded even during peak hours. They have a tiny weight lifting area that you can only access by a ladder. I really enjoyed the variety of routes here, and I was very happy with the lower grade options. Most of the people I saw here were doing much harder routes. I really like all the seating they have available. They have fast wifi, and you can leave your phone at the front desk if you need a charger. They currently have a deal for a two-week membership for new members. It's only $30, and it includes shoe rentals and chalk. This is the same price as a day pass! You need to cancel before the renewal date, or you will be charged $50 for the next two weeks. I thought this was an amazing deal to get to try out Benchmark.

Some of the most fun climbs I've had in my entire climbing journey so far. I had the chance to…read morecheck this place out very early into getting started with climbing so many of the climbs back then were out of reach as I was climbing fairly low grades at the time but they really do have a lot of fun climbs that incorporate a variety of skills/techniques My main reason for the high grade despite a fairly large lack of amenities that my primary gym has is they just create a welcoming third space that overshadows their lack of space and feature rich gym equipment. The climbs are some of the more unique ones I've encountered with many of them challenging your sense of body positioning/tension with a good range of beginner styled climbs that allow for a friendly atmosphere. This has been my second time come and the community here seemed quite close knit as many were cheering for each other wrt their "projects" As for some nitpick downsides, the seem to only have one shower area for men's bathroom with a fairly small open changing area that is tucked into a corner. Given the space is nearly quarter to half the size of comparable SF climbing gyms I guess I could see the reasons behind it. Their sets were also a bit inflated imo but my reference points are Movement, Touchstone, and Mesa Rim gyms so it's not quite fair to say it's a universal truth but it felt like their climbs were a tad too easy for the higher grades. Maybe it's a reason people find it more welcoming but regardless the way the climbs are setup it felt exciting which is rare after climbing for nearly two years now They also have beer on tap (for members) which was surprising but seemed to really emphasize on the community focused aspect and their smaller membership size One other drawback as I think back is this location is honestly terrible for parking as it's on a busy corridor of Van Ness St so parking is really only good after 6 PM since meters stop charging then. If I take all these into consideration this place would be a 4.5 stars. I really like their sets, they have a two-week membership that is $50 / two-week period with discounts for students and Medi-cal You can probably try most of their problems within the two week period given how small the gym is but for now I see this as a slept on gym primarily because it doesn't have the same presence that larger corporate gyms in the Bay have

On hot days, we try to find play indoors. Since Bay Play was nearby and appeared to have play our…read moredaughter enjoys, on a whim we stopped in. Completed waivers, selected her play time, and purchased my daughter's admission ticket ($24.94) along with a pair of grip Bay Play socks ($4.00) online. A chaperone ticket is required ($0), additional chaperones are $5 each. Adults either wear their own socks or shoe covers inside of play area. On a Monday at 4:30p there was only one other car parked. Inside there was one child at play. As the day went on a couple more children joined. The kids all played together as one, which was heart warming to see. The restrooms are located at the rear of the play space, at the end of the Ninja Warrior Jungle structure. There are two major play structures, one for bigger kids to climb, swing and play, the other for smaller kids to do the same with play tailored to their petite size. There are three jump spaces with two attached to what appears to be VR simulated devices. There are lots of arcade games for the kids to play, at an additional charge. Outside food is not permitted. Small snacks are allowed. There are two vending machines at the entrance of the play area - one drinks and the other snacks. There are four massage chairs for chaperones to exist in while the littles play. It accepts mobile pay and cards. One chaperone was enjoying herself during our time, eyes shut. There are 2-3 tables at the front of Bay Play with 4 additional tables at the rear closest to the restrooms. For $25, our daughter was able to play from the time of arrival to close (7p). This is definitely an option to consider for play dates or to pop in for something to do. It is located on the border of Emeryville and Oakland. Bay Play is embedded within a neighborhood. There is street parking directly in front of the location.

Loved it here! We will definitely be coming back. There's a lot of places for kids to climb, slide,…read morejump. There's also a mini arcade inside but everything else is so impressive, kids just play for 20 min and leave to go see what else is there. They have tables so you can eat, and massage chairs for the tired moms and dads. My baby was exhausted by the end and bedtime was a breeze. The price isn't super unreasonable, you do have to buy their socks though. I think I loved it more than my kid, so I'll see you guys soon! Weirdly I took pictures but I can't find them but it is so worth going.

Came here as a stop to enjoy our pastries and coffee while watching our grandson play. Love that…read morethere is a lot of shaded areas. Looks like there is a hiking/walk path nearby. Love the area and we relaxed and enjoyed the calmness.

Had an amazing day in the park yesterday watching taming of the shrew. The park is always so…read moregorgeous with such beautiful trees and well maintained. The event was well organized and everything went very smoothly. The actors were incredible and our family had such a great time being outdoors in the amphitheater watching a show.